{"id":6734,"date":"2021-12-31T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=6734"},"modified":"2023-01-09T15:53:54","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T23:53:54","slug":"beginner-piano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/beginner-piano\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner Piano Players: Start Here!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>So you want to learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to play piano<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve come to the right place! For beginners, learning piano can be a rewarding adventure, but it can also get overwhelming. With so many resources and learning paths out there, it\u2019s difficult to know where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, we\u2019ll run through the key things you need to get started on the right foot. (Or rather, hand!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3 Steps for Beginner Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Create an environment that inspires you to practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s face it: motivating yourself to practice is HARD. So make it task as easy as possible for yourself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this by creating an accessible, cozy, and welcoming practice space. For example, if you never go down to the basement, don\u2019t put your piano in the basement!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decorate your space and make it your own. Hang some warm fairy lights. Put your piano in your favorite room in your favorite corner. And make sure your seating, music stands, and lighting are comfortable and ergonomic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a cozy space is so important that we made a whole post just about it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/cozy-space-piano-practice-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Check it out<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Featured%20Box%20images\/you%20can%20play%20piano.jpg\"><center><h3 style=\"font-size: 22px;\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Getting Started on the Piano<\/b><\/h3><\/center><p>Get started on the right foot (or rather, hand). Get four FREE lessons that will take you from sitting down on the piano for the first time to playing your first song.<\/p><p><\/p><center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/getting-started\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY IT OUT<\/a><p><\/p><\/center><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Schedule your practicing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To schedule your practice sessions is to think carefully about the best time to practice. And committing to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help you plan and commit, you can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/shop\/practice-planner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pianote Practice Planner<\/a> or any scheduling tool. What\u2019s most important is <em>being consistent<\/em>. It\u2019s better to practice 10 minutes a day every day than it is to binge-practice an hour once a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h3 style=\"font-size: 22px;\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Make This Your Year of Getting Good at Piano \ud83d\udd25<\/b><\/h3><p>Get free lessons, tips, and piano news delivered to your inbox every week. Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i>!<\/p><\/center><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/planner%20preview-2.png\" alt=\"PDF of excerpt page from the Pianote Practice Planner: coloured handwriting on schedule worksheet.\" width=\"351\" height=\"556\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Excerpt from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/shop\/practice-planner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pianote Practice Planner<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Strategize!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make the best use of your time. Don\u2019t play the same song over and over from beginning to end. Instead, strategize your practice session for maximum success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a beginner, you should focus on three main areas when you practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keyboard familiarity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hand coordination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Songs!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the layout of the keyboard is fundamental to piano success. And hand coordination is a basic skill that will accompany you for the rest of your piano-playing career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t forget to practice songs! After all, songs are the reason we play piano in the first place \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you\u2019re looking for a strategy, here\u2019s a template you can use\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick Beginner Practice Routine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a routine we like that targets all those things we just mentioned: keyboard familiarity, hand coordination, and playing songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Keyboard Familiarity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, know your musical alphabet!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/musical%20alphabet.png\" alt=\"Keyboard diagram with notes A-G labelled in red on keyboard keys.\" width=\"450\" height=\"191\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Know it forwards and backwards. You can even pick a letter in the middle, like C, and recite the alphabet backwards and forward to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use the black keys to orient yourself too. Notice how there are groups of two and three black keys. These can help you find key notes like C and F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/2%20and%203%20black%20keys.png\" alt=\"Keyboard diagram with groups of two and three black keys highlighted in red and notes C and F labelled in red.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know your keyboard geography, test yourself! Name a random note and see how fast you can find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hand Coordination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing with both hands <em>looks <\/em>simple, but for beginners who are unfamiliar with the moment, it will feel strange and even challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try this. Put your thumb (finger 1) on Middle C and the rest of your fingers on the keys thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/5-finger%20scale%20with%20numbers.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of right hand on piano with five fingers aligned with notes C to G and fingers numbered 1 to 5 in red.\" width=\"491\" height=\"292\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Now, this is important: <strong>posture.<\/strong> Your wrists should be up, not drooping, and your fingers should be slightly curved, which is their relaxed position. If you feel tense, try relaxing your shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Press down on each key and release, one at a time. This LOOKS simple, but if your fingers have never done this before, it\u2019ll feel strange and can even be challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\">\ud83c\udfb9 <b><i>PERFECT POSTURE AT THE PIANO:<\/i><\/b> Get ergonomic advice from a chiropractor in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/perfect-posture-at-the-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this lesson<\/a>.<\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, try the same thing with your left hand. Put your pinky finger (finger 5) on the C below Middle C and line up the rest of your fingers with the keys.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/5-finger%20scale%20left%20hand%20with%20numbers.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of left hand on piano with five fingers aligned with notes C to G and fingers numbered 5 to 1 in red.\" width=\"512\" height=\"301\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Press the keys one at a time starting with your pinky finger, going up the keyboard. Fingers four and five will feel the oddest because these are our weakest fingers. Your fingers might fly and jerk awkwardly, but that\u2019s a normal part of starting out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After practicing hands separately, try playing the pattern hands together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, this is important: <strong>think in terms of <em>up<\/em> and <em>down<\/em><\/strong>, not 54321 and 12345. If this is hard at first, that\u2019s normal! Hand independence is something you\u2019ll work on throughout your piano playing career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Songs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t forget to practice songs \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll teach you a common <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-progressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chord progression<\/a> that forms the basis for hundreds, perhaps thousands of songs. There are only four chords, but you can do <em>so <\/em>much with these four chords!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the progression we\u2019ll use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"color:#f61a30\">I &#8211; V &#8211; vi &#8211; IV<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do these Roman numerals mean?! Well, let\u2019s go through each of the five notes we\u2019ve been playing and assign them each a number.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/Numbered%205%20finger%20scale.png\" alt=\"Diagram of keyboard with C D E F G labelled in red and numbers 1 2 3 4 5 labelled in red underneath.\" width=\"406\" height=\"220\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This is what we mean by I-V-vi-IV. We\u2019ll play chords based on the first, fifth, sixth, and fourth chords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the I. Find and place your thumb on C. Then, play G with your pinky finger, making a fifth. This is a <strong>shell chord<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, we\u2019ll scooch up so that our thumb is now on the G, and we\u2019ll create a shell chord by playing D with our pinky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll do the same moving to A and then F. So, in summary, these are the shell chords we\u2019ll play:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Beginners%3A%20Start%20Here%21\/shell%20chords.png\" alt=\"Diagrams of C, G, A, and F shell chords with keys labelled and highlighted in red and fingering underneath.\" width=\"600\" height=\"523\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Master these shapes with your right hand. When you\u2019re comfortable, add a bass note with your left by playing the bottom note (root) at the same time as each chord. So your left hand will play:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#f61a30\" class=\"has-inline-color\">C &#8211; G &#8211; A &#8211; F<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And guess what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can play most pop songs now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These chords underlie some of the biggest songs ever performed. Like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-let-it-be-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cLet It Be\u201d (The Beatles)<\/a>, \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019\u201d (Journey), and \u201cI\u2019m Yours\u201d (Jason Mraz). If you want to learn more about the famous I-V-vi-IV pop progression, check out our lesson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/pop-piano-chord-progressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\">\ud83c\udfb9 <b><i>WANT MORE INFO ON CHORDS?<\/i><\/b> Theory isn\u2019t always fun, but understanding diatonic chords, how chord progressions work, and how to decode the number system will set you up for quick success. If you want to dive deeper in these concepts, check out:<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diatonic Chords, Explained<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/the-number-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Nashville Number System for Piano<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-progressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All About Piano Chord Progressions<\/a><\/li><\/ul>For a more hands-on approach, check out our free four-lesson series, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/chord-hacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chord Hacks<\/a>.<\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn piano this year!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you found these beginner tips helpful! If you would like to learn piano step-by-step from real teachers and be motivated by a warm, supportive community, consider joining Pianote as a Member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">JOIN PIANOTE<\/a><\/center>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, we\u2019re also introducing Coaches. Which means that, as a Pianote Member, you can learn from world-class stage pianists like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/victoria-theodore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Victoria Theodore<\/a> (Beyonc\u00e9, Stevie Wonder), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/erskine-hawkins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Erskine Hawkins<\/a> (Christie Michele, Zendaya), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/summer-swee-singh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Summer Swee-Singh<\/a> (Bebe Rexha, Circa Survive), and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you\u2019re not ready for all that yet, no problem! Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/getting-started\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Getting Started on the Piano<\/a>, a <strong>free<\/strong> course on how to play piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For beginners, learning piano is rewarding but it can also get overwhelming. We&#8217;ll run through the key things you need to start strong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1108],"tags":[1069],"class_list":["post-6734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musicianship","tag-gsotp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6734"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10427,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6734\/revisions\/10427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}